Let's work through these tips one at a time to see how you can finally take control and get motivated to achieve your goals.

1. Figure out what motivates you.

Everyone is motivated by something different. Scientists have actually identified different personality types, each one of which is motivated by something different. For example, if you are an extrovert, then you are motivated by something external, such as something social or an actual material reward. If you fall under the Agreeableness category, you are more motivated by trying to get along with others.

Knowing what motivates you in one of the key components of setting goals and successfully achieving them. Don't set goals that you won't be motivated to achieve. Similarly, approach your goals based on what motivates you, whether it's family relationships, feeling healthy, being with friends, or whatever.

2. Make a list of your goals.

Making a list of your goals is a real, concrete way for you to get control of them. Having them all written down and organized might seem simple enough, but few people actually write down their goals. Instead they think about them vaguely, all of the time.

Sit down and write. Organize your goals into short term goals, mid term goals, and long term goals. Many of your short term and mid term goals should feed into and help you achieve your long term goals. Once you make a list of your goals, post that list in a place where you will see it several times a day. Reminding yourself of your goals in this way will help you become motivated to work towards achieving those goals.

3. Think realistically.

One of the reasons people lose motivation is because they aren't thinking realistically through the goal-achieving process. Most people think too optimistically when they are creating goals. They think way too big and way too many. Think about the time that you have, the situation that you are in, and what you can realistically accomplish. Once you achieve those goals, you can set more. Don't try to do it all at once.

If people get discouraged, they tend to swing to the other end of the spectrum and think too pessimistically. If you hit some bumpy patches in your road towards goal achievement, don't get down. Instead sit back and look objectively at what happened. Was everything that happened under your control? If so, what went wrong? And how can you fix it next time? Don't get hung up on short term failures. Instead, just learn from your mistakes and move on.

4. Challenge yourself.

A great motivator is a challenge that you sent for yourself. This is something concrete that you want to achieve. Some examples are:

Running the local 5K in 6 months.
Taking an overnight hiking and camping trip.
Saving $5000 dollars in a certain amount of time.
Upping your sales a certain percent.
Participating in a bike race.
Entering your art in a local competition.

Once you achieve one challenge, find another one. Concrete goals like this help you stay motivated.

5. Find a partner.

It's much easier to achieve goals when you aren't the only one working towards them. Share your goals with someone else. The two of you can work on them together. Having someone support you makes motivation that much easier